CAN YOU SHOW ME THE SHINE IN YOUR JAPAN

Vaughn Bode, pronounced as in bodhisattva, has a new hardcover collection of comics out this week, Cheech Wizard’s Book of Me. To celebrate, here’s a cover and part of the back cover from a “custom” comic book he did to promote power mower safety.

In one the many annotations in The Vaughn Bode Index, edited by George W. Beahm, the artist later commented on this work, saying, “Folks, don’t ever think I didn’t try like a son-of-a-bitch to sell out and get rich. Alas, every time I went for bucks, my heart started wilting and soon my cartoons forced me back on the path to harmony.

“I was given just two weeks to complete the entire book! I had to write, draw and color key all of this while I was an art student at Syracuse University.”

The new release includes some collaborations with (and strips by) his son, Mark Bode. (Did I ever mention my joy at riding the tram and suddenly spotting one of Mark's spectacular Cheech Wizard graffiti murals in Dublin?)

Check out the Book of Me! Unlike Powermowerman, Cheech has remained sharp and cutting.